''  A fax from Jerry is coming in.'' Jax takes the fax and reads it.
'' Dara, how would you like to go to London?''

" Jax, I am a working woman. Now, I know that you jet all over the world, but some of us just can't have that lifestyle. So, take me home."

" As you wish, Ms. Jensen. But would that hard working woman like to have just a bit of fun before she returns to the saltmines?"

" And what did you have in mind?"

" How about this?" Jax kisses Dara.

" I think that it would be just fine." Dara and Jax embark on a very deep necking session.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sasha comes to the Nurses Station and sees Amy.

" Ms. Vining. I was wondering if you knew where Bobbie Spencer is?"

" Actually, I just saw her going towards the Library." Amy points Sasha the way.

" Thank you."

Sasha goes to the Library. The door is ajar, and she overhears:

" Bobbie, I'm sorry. Melissa and I decided to take another apartment. Not that the one at the Brownstone wasn't nice and all, but...."

" I doubt that 2 young, single, attractive women would want to share a building with 3 single mothers. The 'vibe' of the building is entirely too old. No problem Ashley. And no offense taken."

" Well, I gotta get back to class. But, thanks, Bobbie."

" Bye, Ashley." Ashley walks out and Sasha walks in.

" Hello, Bobbie."

" Sasha! You're looking good."

" Well, I am feeling fine. No thanks to you."

" Sasha, I was doing my job. But, it was good that I could help out a friend."

" I'm glad that you consider me one, Bobbie. Because I certainly feel that way about you. And even after I get out of the hospital, I would like for our friendship to continue."

" Sasha, You know, that would please me also."

" What would please you, Barbara?" Stefan has entered the Library.

" Bobbie was just telling me that she would like to continue with the connection that we made while in Hawaii."

" Isn't that interesting?"

" Well, I am tired. So, I will be going back to my room. Alexis is going to come and visit me. Goodbye, Papa. Bobbie."

" Bye, Sasha. I'll stop by later and see if everything is OK medical wise."

Sasha leaves.

" I thought I had told you to stay away from my daughter."

" And I thought I had told you, that you don't get to run my life. Sasha is GROWN, and if she likes me, tough cookies for you."

" Tough cookies? Ah, one of those American witticisms, Barbara."

" OK, then I'll use one of your words: your rantings are getting TEDIOUS, Stefan. I go where I want to go, do what I want to do, with whomever I want. You should be more concerned about the settlement that you're going to give to me. When do I get my check?"

" I told your lawyer, and now, I'll tell you. You'll not get one cent from me. Sign the divorce papers, Barbara. Before you make me do something that you'll regret."

" Ah, Stefan. Threats are gonna get you nowhere. Cause I'm NOT afraid of you. So, go bully someone else. Might I suggest Katherine? After all, what can you say about a woman who falls for the man who shot her?"

With that, Bobbie leaves the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sasha is sitting in her bed when Alexis comes in.

" Hello, Sasha. How are you doing this morning?"

" Just fine, cousin. So, Alexis, are you ready to discuss things with me?"

" Such as?"

" Let's start with my father and Bobbie Spencer. You tell me why you think that she tried to drug him."

" Because she was working with Luke all along, and she was trying to dig up information on him."

" What kind of information, and do you really think that Bobbie would take the Spencer/Cassadine Feud to that length? You wrote to me how much you liked her. Can you really be fooled that easily?"

" I thought I was a better judge of character. But, I guess I'm not."

" Alright, topic #2. What about my father and this Bell woman. How did they meet?"

" He came to visit her in the hospital after he shot her."

" HA ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha....", Sasha gets a good laugh out of this. " Good joke, Alexis. So, tell me. How did they really meet?"

" I told you."

" Let me get this straight in my mind. Katherine Bell is involved with the man who shot her? Was it a superficial wound?"

" Stefan shot and paralyzed her."

" Papa shot AND paralyzed her, and she fell in LOVE with him. Why does this not make anykind of sense to me? What kind of a woman has so little self-respect that she could even fathom this possible?"

" Well, that's Katherine."

" I must say, though, that she is an interesting read. And Papa looks exactly like her type."

" Exactly."

" So, are you going to tell me what you decided to do about Katherine?"

" It's a long story. Suffice it to say, that it could get me exiled from the family."

" Oh, Alexis. What have you done? Why didn't you wait for me?"

" Because action had to be taken and you were gallavanting around the globe."

" Didn't anyone ever tell you that patience is a virtue?"

" And it is one of my virtues. Except with you."

" Well,  I have started on things with Ms. Bell. I began them even before my trip. I sent one of my friends on the task of Ms. Bell. After reading her file, I have to agree that my course of action is the correct one. I am assuming that since you have brought me into this, that you will back me in my decisions. No turning back, Alexis..."

" I agree. No turning back. You do whatever you have to do."

" Don't I always?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dara is unpacking her belongings. She is wondering how so many things could change in the course of a weekend. When she left on the trip, the thought of Jax as anything other than a friend, was never there. And then the weekend happened. He didn't run away. He met her family, ran the gauntlet, learned the very worst about her and didn't run away.

As a surprise, her Grandmother had gotten  from the photographer a few shots of the party. Dara picked up the one of her mother. Her mother, she thought. Looking as hauntingly beautiful and elegant as ever. When Dara was a child, like all girls, she thought her mother was the most beautiful woman that she had ever seen. The difference for Dara, was that, unlike most other little girls, the world seemed to agree with her. Madelaine Constance DeLonge was one of the original group of Black models. Her face had graced the covers of Ebony, Jet and Essence magazines. Dara remembered the day she was playing dressup, when she was six. She was all dolled up, looking cute. She was rumaging through some shoeboxes and came across a picture of her mother. It was a simple picture of her in black riding pants and a white turtleneck. Her hair was pulled back in a chignon. Dara stared at the picture for hours. There was an elegance, a class, a depth of beauty that her mother had. That whenever she came into a room, the chatter lowered. Her mother never walked into a room. She always was gliding, like a swan. Dara looked at that picture, and then herself, and knew that , in a million years, the room would never quiet when she entered. It was that day, that Dara decided to become the 'smart' one. That she would have the intellectual equivalent of her mother's beauty, and that that would distinguish her. It drove her in all her academic pursuits. That's why she was always at the top of her classes, always.

She thought about what her brother had said to her. About Jax's lady friends. That she doesn't fit into the mold. She knew that he was right. She'd never be on billboards like Brenda, but, she knew that if she wasn't bad looking and that her mind kept her in the game. She would have to have doubts, though. Wouldn't any sane woman? About getting involved with an international playboy, whose last choice of a wife was diametrically opposed to your very being? And then, there were her mother's doubts about the interracial aspect. Was she some sort of experiment for Jax? Did he just see her as another conquest? Well, if that was the case, then why did Dara feel comfortable enough with him to tell him about Mellie. She had never told Justus about her. And why would Jax tell her about Miranda?

Dara looked at the photo of Jax and herself. We looked good together, Dara thought. He is so handsome, and I was at my best. Dara went into the bathroom to draw herself a bath. She needed time to think. Thank goodness Jax was going to London. It would give her some time to evaluate everything.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sasha and Mai were in the study at Sasha's London Mansion.

" So, Mai. Do you think that we'll win Telestar?"

" With the information that we purchased, yes, I believe that we will succeed."

" So you know the other players?"

" Only 3: Fiat, ELQ and J&J of Alaska."

" So, Gio Agnelli, Ned Ashton, and Jasper Jacks, I am presuming, will be the competition."

" Yes, those are your competitors. Do you want me to pull up their files?"

" No need. I've gone up against Gio Agnelli enough to know his style. Alexis' documents on Ashton I have to memory, and I know Jasper's  mode of operation cold. I am more sure than ever that we'll be successful tomorrow. Goodnight, Mai."

" Goodnight, boss."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Telestar Industries was the second largest satellite communications company in Europe. Very few things in telecommunications in Europe could be done without it. It would be a feather in the cap of any company fortunate enough to purchase it. A small breakfast was being held in a private room at the Savoy Hotel for all the bidders.
 

Jax, is already sitting in the Lobby waiting to go in when... Sasha   comes upon Jax.

"Well, Jasper Jacks as I live and breath."

(curt)  "Hello, Sasha."

"Jasper.....what....no kiss for a former family member?"

" Sorry, I was told to stay away from poisons."

" Poison? Well, how funny. Jax. Is that an attempt at wit? Sorry, forgot who I was talking to."

"What do you want Sasha?"

" Want? Well, what you want, Jasper darling, Telestar."

" I wasn't informed that you were one of the parties."

" Well, then, you're slipping. But, you've been preoccupied as of late.  I had heard that John had had a heart attack. I did hear that he was on the mend.

" Dad's made a full recovery."

" Isn't that wonderful? And Jerry? How is my “dear” ex-husband?"

"Great as a matter of fact."

" Oh. I thought you’d be the bearer of good news and tell me that he had caught something incurable. Oh, Jax. I am being so insensitive talking about spouses. I heard about you and your wife, the “rocket scientist”. You go lower and lower on the IQ scale, but you can’t seem to hold them, can you? Well, Ciao, darling. Do give everyone my best. Especially Lady Jane."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The breakfast goes according to plan. Each of the players, except for Justus, who was delayed because of weather closing Heathrow, were on hand. A typical game of cat & mouse and upsmanship happened, with of course, nothing happening. The real dealing would not happen until they went to Telestar headquarterers.

Setting: The offices of the company that Sasha is intent on purchasing. Jax and Agnelli are already out of the picture, and it is coming down to ELQ and The Pegasus Group. Ned, who was called away on urgent business in Caracas, Venezuela, has sent Justus in his place. Sasha walks into the room.

" Well, you don’t look like Ned Ashton."

" I’m not. My name is Justus Ward. Chief Counsel for ELQ. I was told that we were going to meet A.E. Cassadine here. Do you work for him? (There are very few pictures of A.E. And part of the reasons why she goes with her initials is to fool people who assume, like Justus, that A.E. is a he.)"

" Yes, I do."

" Well, what can you tell me about him?"

" Fierce, competitive...always wins."

"Always?"

" Always."

" What’s the fun if you always win?"

" Don’t know...consistent high, I guess?"

"  Maybe. Do you want to join me afterwards for a drink?"

" Why isn't your mind on business? Are you ALWAYS this forward?"

" Only with women who are classic beauties."

"  That’s very flattering, but no thank you. Are you going to the Weston’s charity gala this evening?"

"  Yes, I have my penguin suit ready."

" Then I’ll see you there. Good bye...and good luck."

LATER ON THAT EVENING.....

OF Course, Sasha is victorious in her purchase of the company. She had guessed over telephone conversations by the tilt in Alexis’ voice that she was interested in Ned Ashton, so she had already made him off limits.  But this Justus Ward, he was, she had to admit, intriguing. Maybe Port Charles would not be such a boring place after all. He was young to be the Chief Counsel to such a large corporation as ELQ. She made a mental note to tell Mai to have him researched thoroughly. She looked at herself in the mirror. Not bad, if I do say so myself. The strapless Royal Blue Carolina Herrera, with the matching jewel-clasped hooded cape made such a statement. Her black hair, pulled back into a chignon, completely complimented her cafe-au-lait complexioned,  hazel eyed face. Her long neck bare, and no jewelry except for a pair of diamond studs that adorned her ears, and a diamond bracelet, a family heirloom, that laid ever so gently on the arm length white gloves. She was ready for her rematch with Justus Ward.

Justus was checking his watch for the third time. God, how he hated these things. He thought that they were bad in America, but these Brits--->Geesh, how dry and droll can you get? That’s not fair, he thought. Hillary Weston has been a pretty great hostess,  introducing him to as many people as possible. Ned must have told her that I was a hopeless case. And there was quite a crowd here: Brits, other Eurpoeans, Some from Hong Kong and Singapore, an Arab Sheik, Indians and a few Polo-playing Argentinians thrown in for good measure. He had met the South African and Egyptian Ambassadors to Britain, and a rock and roll star. But no her. Not yet. He was still smarting over losing the deal to A.E. Cassadine, but there are always other deals. She, on the other hand, was quite unique. Ah, there she was, making her greetings with Galen and Hillary Weston. My, she was fine.  She had a flawless beauty about her. Her proportions was perfect. The elegant, swanlike neck. The dress, designer of course, fit her perfectly. She had noticed him and was approaching.

"  Well, we meet again.", Sasha says.

" Yes, we do. I thought you’d never make it."

" I never miss one of Hillary’s parties. They might not be the most fun, but they always have the most interesting mix of people. Have you made the rounds of the room?"

" Yes, several times."

" You are a newcomer. So, I know that Hillary has taken special care of you tonight, am I right?"

(laughing) " Yes. I don’t remember getting your name."

"  I did not give it. It’s Sasha."

" Just Sasha?"

"  For now, yes. (hearing the music) This is one of my favorites. Let’s dance. "

"  OK."

They dance. Continuously. And they talk endlessly about everything and anything. Sasha knew the crowd, and Justus was interested in her stories about them. For someone so young, he thought, she certainly had a wide variety of social contacts. She was charming, full of life and a wicked wit, that sometimes turned vicious. He had to admit that he had not been this charmed by a woman since.....Simone. It was just too bad that he was leaving for PC in the morning. Well, maybe I don’t have to leave for a while. She caught him looking at her as if he were in thought.

"  Yes?"

"  What? You read minds too?"

"  Sometimes. What was yours saying?"

"  That maybe I ought to stay for a few days."

"  I don’t think that would be wise."

" Why not?"

"  Why start something that you cannot possibly finish? No, I think that I need to take my leave right now. Good night, Justus.  I had a wonderful time."

"  Well, I aim to please. I can’t believe that I’ll never see you again."

"  You know what? I know that we’ll meet again."
(she kisses his cheek lightly, and walks away)

Sasha enters her chauffered Bentley and makes a call.

" Boss?"

" I have made contact with Justus Ward. Please have a dossier on him ready by the time that I return. I'm on my way there, now. You know the procedures. "

" Yes, boss. We've done it enough times. You are to be uninterrupted. If the calls are from your father, Ms. Davis, or Nikolas, they alone will be forwarded. The Pegasus Group will still be standing upon your return. I hope that you enjoy your visit."

" So do I."